We’re kicking off our Fall 2015 class next month and I’m excited to continue to welcome the new participants into the Praxis program. Tamina Zaheri comes to Praxis with a natural entrepreneurial mindset and strong work ethic that we look for in all our successful applicants. She has never been satisfied with learning in a typical classroom setting and over the past year has been laser-focused on gaining real world experience through entrepreneurial projects.

She’s participating in the program from Austin, TX where she will be discovering what it takes to run a growing company by working with the sales, marketing, and operation teams at Aceable, a growing startup in the mobile education industry. Tamina is also the co-founder of the Childhood Institute and blogs regularly at TaminaZaheri.com.

Tamina has already started working at her Praxis business partner, Aceable, which is located in Austin, TX. Tamina has already made a strong impression at Aceable and was offered a full-time position during her first week on the job. She’ll have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of creating a successful company in the EdTech space while gaining valuable, transferable skills and experiences that she can take to any business.

Starting in September, Tamina will begin a series of customized personal and professional development challenges, portfolio projects, creating a personal website, and working with Praxis advisors and entrepreneurs in our network. (Click to view sample PDP from a past participant)

We asked Tamina about her decision to apply to Praxis and this is what he said:

Why Praxis?

I have always been a “do-er.” Sure I enjoy sitting around to contemplate ideas and talk in abstracts, but getting work done and solving problems is what I love to do. Praxis embodies getting work done. I dropped out of college because I felt as if my wings were clipped, whereas Praxis is letting me fly free. Sure, college tries to teach students how to fly, but I realized that you can’t learn how to be an entrepreneur by sitting at a desk reading about humanities. You become an entrepreneur by working at a small business or startup. It’s just like how we don’t teach kids how to walk by showing them pictures and reading to them about it, they learn how to walk by just doing it.

Knowing that I am in the prime years of my life is pushing me to avoid taking the easy route of going to college. Instead, I want to learn and work towards my future. Praxis is exactly that. I have access to a fantastic education while working a job I love. Nothing else really offers that with such a great structure. I’m ready to push myself to grow as much as I can in these next 10-months, and hopefully walk away with a strong foundation for future growth and improvement.

Why did you opt-out of college?

I’m not your average 20-year old, and I’d argue it’s time for more young adults who don’t want to be average to break free from these less-than-average institutions. I quickly realized that spending another 2 to 3 years sitting at a desk learning a myriad of things I would never need in life was not helping me reach my potential. It wasn’t harboring an environment for growth. There were no incentives to go above and beyond, no incentives to create or problem solve.

With the help of the Praxis team I’ve been given the opportunity to work with an amazing startup called Aceable in Austin, Texas. I went down a less traditional route and began working for my business partner a month before the program officially. So far, it’s been incredibly fulfilling to work with the great team that makes up Aceable. In the short time I have spent at the company, they have exceeded my expectations. I was given a full-time position very quickly after initially being hired for the Praxis position, which was unexpected but a welcome challenge.

Praxis has helped me in many ways already, from their informative and inquisitive blog posts to the program itself. I am beyond excited to join another class of students who are ready to break free of the status quo and show the world that we are more than diplomas. We are what we do. We are what we create.